Apparatus for making lead oxid.



Patented Sept. l9, I899.

8. POPE & G. V. BARTON.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING LEAD OXID.

(Application filed May 27, 1899.)-

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model) No. 633,533. Patented Sept.,l9, I899.-

S. POPE &. G. V. BARTON. v APPARATUS FOR MAKING LEAD DXID.

{Application filed May 27, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 2.

I I P1 Patented Sept. 19,1899.

s. POPE & a. v. BARTON.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING LEAD OXID.

(Applicatiotn filed May 27, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheat 3,

(No Model.)

l u g No. 633,533, Patented Sept. l9,- I899. S. POPE &. G. V. BARTON.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING LEAD-0X10.

(Application filed May 27, 1599. I '(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' moved.

' UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

SAMUEL POPE AND GEORGE VINCENT BARTON, OF RUNCORN, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING LEAD OXID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,533, datedSeptember 19, 1899.

Application filed May 27,1899. Serial No. 718,478. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SAMUEL POPE and GEORGE VINCENT BARTON, residing atOld Quay, Runeorn, in the county of Cheshire, England, subjects of theQueen of Great Britain, have invented certain new and usef ulImprovements in Means or Apparatus for the Production of Lead Oxid, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to thedrawings hereunto annexed and to the letters marked thereon.

The invention relates to improvements in means or apparatus for theproduction of lead oxid and the primary object thereof is to obtain leadoxid in a more rapid and economical manner than heretofore.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection representing a plant for carrying the said invention into ef'fect. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof with part re- Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a frontend elevation of the apparatus with the pot removed. Fig. 5 is a rearend elevation thereof, showing the barrel in section. Fig. 6 is a frontelevation of the covered pot or vessel separately. Fig. 7 is a planthereof. Fig. Sis a side elevation thereof, partly in section. Fig. 9isarear elevation thereof. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken on theline 2 2 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 9 and with the paddle or stirrer removed, and Fig. 12 is avertical transverse section showing the upper part of the potseparately.

In the several figures, in which like parts are indicated by similarletters of reference, Figs. 4 and 5 are drawn to an increased scale withrespect to Figs. 1 to 3, while Figs; 6 to 12 are drawn to a stillfurther increased scale.

Referring to the drawings, a represents a closed pot or vessel. (2represents a furnace for heating the same. 6 represents. severalcollecting or grading chambers for the oXid, and f g h represent anapparatus for trapping the lighter particles of oxid and prevent ingtheir escaping into the outer air.

The pot or vessel a is formed of iron or other suitable material capableof withstanding the heat to which it is subjected, and the furnace (Z,which may be a coal, gas, or other suitable f urnace,m ust be capable ofefficiently heating the lead to be treated and which is contained in thepot a. The pot a is furnished at its front with two openings a 64 closedby means of suitable covers, one of said openings-namely, that aservingas a manhole and the other, a serving as a feed-opening, through which aquantity of fused lead is from time to time introduced into the pot a,said lead being afterward maintained by the furnace in the requiredfluid state. At the rear side of the pot a and above the molten lead isprovided an outlet a to which is connected an upwardly-inclined chute a,which cornmunicates with the collecting-chamber e,hereinafter more fullyreferred to.

Extending tangentiallyfroin the wall of the pot a at the rear side ofthe outlet at to the center of the pot a, or it might be beyond, is asuitably-shaped baffle-plate or curtain a which terminates in anapertured boss 0., formed on the upper part of the pot a, and thiscurtain or baffle-plate a extends downward to a suitable position, ashereinafter described.

At or near the bottom of the pot ca and beneath the ba file-plate orcurtain a is provided a horizontal paddle or stirrer b, which is fixedupon a vertical shaft b, passing through the apertured boss to", whichforms a bearing to the shaft, and at its upper end said shaft ismountedin a bearing b supported by a frame 11 carried by the upperpartof the pota. The vertical shaft 7), and consequently the paddle orstirrer 1), receives rotary motion at a regulated speed through abeveled toothed wheel I), fixed upon the vertical shaft 1), whichengages a beveled pinion I), fixed upon a horizontal shaft 11 at itsends, mounted in bearings b carried by the frame If, and furnished withfast and loose pulleys 5 by means of which the shaft 1) and paddle b maybe driven from any suitable source of power. The paddle or stirrer b,which revolves in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 10, or there might beseveral stirrers, as will be readily understood, carries around with itthe molten metallic lead, which forms a kind of wave, the crest of whichdashes against the baffle-plate or curtain a said action taking place infront of the outlet (0 The crest of this wave runs up the sides of thepot a, and portions ofthe metal are liable to become detached and by theblast hereinafter referred to carried up the walls of the pot a andthrough the outlet 0& into the receiving or collecting chambers e. Inorder to obviate this difficulty, an annular horizontal flange orprojection a is provided, extending around the pot or vessel a on theinterior thereof on a level with or slightly below the bottom of theoutlet of, by which means the wave will be kept properly under control.As a further precaution the outlet a leading from the pot to thereceiving-chambers e, is surrounded by a flange or projection a whicheffectually prevents the metallic lead rising sufficiently at that pointto be carried into the collecting-chamber 6. At suitable intervalsaround the interior of the pot a are arranged vertical projections orbaffleplates a", which serve to prevent the wave of lead unduly risingand at the same time assist to break up the same, as hereinafterdescribed. By reason of the inclined position of the chute a, leadingfrom the outlet a of the pot, any molten metallic lead which may heaccidentally carried through the outlet a will, flow back by gravityinto the pot a instead of being carried-into the chambers 6.

Above the surface of the molten lead is arranged a pipe .0, which isformed with an open but downwardly-curved end 0, and this pipe extendshorizontally from the rear side of the baffle-plate or curtain a in acircular or curved form, so that its open end a points in the directionin which the molten lead or the surface thereof is required to travel,and this pipe 0 is supplied with combined air and steam underpressure-for example, by the aid of a vena contracta c placed in thepipe 0 and into which enters a pipe 0 supplied with steam under pressurefrom any suitable source. The pipe 0 is open to the atmosphere or issimilarly supplied with air, and the blast of combined air and steamissuing from the mouth 0 of the pipe 0 is caused to impinge upon thesurface of the molten lead and at the same time travel in the directionof the outlet a from the pot a. t

In order to produce the lead oxid by the means hereinbefore described,the furnace d is started and the pot a is charged through thefeed-opening a with a suitable quantity of fused metallic lead, which ismaintained in a molten condition by the furnace (Z. The paddle orstirrer Z) is then set in motion at a suitable speed of rotation throughthe pulleys b hereinbefore referred to, and the supply of air and steamunder pressure is admitted by the pipe 0 and impinges upon the surfaceof the molten lead, by which means said surface becomes coated with afilm of oxid, which is carried around by the lead, which assumes a wavelike form, its crest coming against the baffle-plate or curtain a, thefilm of oxid near the periphery of the pot being at the same time brokenup by the Vertical bafile-plates a". The wave of lead at the same timecoming into contact with the vertical baffle-plates a causes veryviolent turbulance and the pulverization of the lead striking saidbattle-plates (1 thus shaking and loosening the oxid from the metalliclead and causing it to be more easily carried forward through theopening a into the receiving or collecting chambers c, as hereinafterdescribed. The lead and oxid are brought into contact with thebafile-plate or curtain a with some degree of force, and their impacttherewith causes the oxid to rise in a cloud,

which is controlled or directed by the battle-- plate or curtain a, anddeflected toward the outlet a through which and through the chute a itis carried by the blast or current of air and steam into the receivingor collecting chambers or apparatus efg h, hereinafter more fullyreferred to, where the oxid is finally deposited in the form of animpalpa-' IOC bers according to it sspecific gravity, as is I water isallowed to flow in regulated quanti-- ties from a cock 2', supplied by apipe '1 connected with any convenient reservoir of water. Bymeans ofthis device the lighter particles of oxid which do not become depositedin the chambers 15 pass into the trunk f, and the heavier particles arecarried by the blast into the water of the tub g, while the lighterparticles pass by the connection f into the pipe 72 where on enteringthe barrel 7: they encounter. and are required to pass through thecircuitous passage between the shelves 7L2, which are covered by a filmof water which flows from shelf to shelf, and the escaping blast ofsteam and air to some extent atomizes the water, so that it is virtuallyimpossible for any portion of the oxid to escape into the open air, andthe process is thus rendered comparatively harmless. The oxid depositedin the tub g is removed and submitted to the usual final processes torender it marketable or for the production of white lead.

In the same manner mixed rough litharge may be converted into fine leadoxid, thus avoiding the operations of grinding andlevigation to free thelead oxid from the metallic lead usually intermixed therewith when leadoxid is produced by the old method of cupellation. For this purpose acharge of the rough litharge is introduced into the pot a and floatsupon the surface of the molten lead, the apparatus is put into action,the oxid is caught by the curtain a and under the combined influence ofthe stirrer 17 air and steam and baffie-plates a and curtain is reducedto a fine state of division and carried into the collecting apparatus,where it is recovered in a state of fine powder ready for use. Anymetallic lead in the rough litharge is liquefied by the heat maintainedin the pot or vessel aand becomes oxidized, and by these means the wholeof the rough litharge is recovered as a fine powder of lead oxid.

Having now particularly described and ascertain ed the nature of thesaid invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, wedeclare that what we claim is- 1. An apparatus for the production oflead oxid comprising a closed pot or vessel adapted to contain a chargeof lead, means for heating said pot, a collecting-chamber, an outletfrom the pot, a connection between the outlet and thecollecting-chamber, means for directing an oxidizing-blastoutpthersurface of the fused lead, a paddle or stirrer within the pot,means for rotating the paddle, and a baffle-plate or curtain projectinglaterally from the rear side of the outlet toward the center of the potand extending downwardly into a position to catch the film of oxidsubstantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.

2. An apparatus for the production of lead oxid comprising a closed potor vessel adapted to contain a charge of lead, means for heating saidpot, a collecting-chamber, an outlet from the pot, an inclinedconnection between the outlet and the collecting-chamber, a flangesurrounding said outlet, means for directing an oxidizing-blast onto thesurface of the fused lead, a paddle or stirrer within the pot, means forrotating the paddle, a horizontal annular flange located above thesurface of the lead, vertical baffle-plates arranged atintervals aroundthe pot and a baffle-plate or curtain projecting laterally from the rearside of the outlet toward the center of the pot and extending downwardlyinto a position to catch the film of oxid substantially as herein shownand described and for the purpose stated.

3. An apparatus for the production of lead oxid comprising a closed potor vessel adapted to contain a charge of lead, means for heating saidpot, a collecting-chamber, an outlet from the pot to thecollecting-chamber, means for keeping the lead in motion, a baffle-plateor curtain projecting laterally from the rear side of the outlet towardthe center of the pot and extending downwardly into position to catchthe film of oxid and means for oxidiz= ing the surface of the lead andcarrying the oxid through the outlet into the collecting chambersubstantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.

4. An apparatus for the production of lead oxid comprising a closed potor vessel adapted to contain a charge of lead, means for heating saidpot, a collecting-chamber of several compartments, an outlet from thepot, acon nection between the pot and the collectingchamber, means fordirecting an oxidizing blast onto the surface of the fused lead andcar'- rying the oxid through the outlet into the col= lecting-chamber,an opening at the end of the collecting chamber for the passage of thelightest particles of oxid, a vertical trunk com municating with saidopening, a water-tub in which the lower end of the trunk is immersed inthe water of the tub, a vertical pipe having its lower end extendinginto said tub and immersed in said water, a lateral connection betweenthe trunk and the pipe, a barrel at the top of the pipe provided withoverlapping inclined shelves and a water-jet running onto said shelvessubstantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.

SAMUEL POPE. GEORGE VINCENT BARTON.

Witnesses to thesignature of Samuel Pope:

FRED. A. LAKE, WALTER T. HOWARD. Witnesses to the signature of GeorgeVincent Barton: I

THOMAS J ONES, GEORGE Moon.

